Forward Motion
by Hanae da Firefly
Summary: Constantly leaving Squall sexually frustrated, he and Cloud separate, wondering about their true feelings and views in a relationship that seemed so right at first glance. They hope to one day move together in a smooth, forward motion. AU fic. [LC]
1. Chapter 1

**Forward Motion**

Footsteps. Steady and slow.

They made their way quietly, padding down the long passage. It belonged to a man. He just knew. He couldn't tell whether it was the way he walked, or the way the footsteps sounded, but they belonged to a man.

The footsteps – the man – paused for a moment.

There was a soft mutter, a small exchange. A higher voice – female, this one – laughed sweetly before uttering something sounding suspiciously like 'Goodnight'. A door closed. The footsteps resumed. The man continued walking; steady and slow. He stopped yet again, this time in front of his door. A slight clinking could be heard; he assumed easily that the man was playing with his keys.

A lock turned.

Bingo.

A head of messy, blonde hair poked in quietly; peeking into the room. It was dark. No lights were on. There was a gentle snoring, gentle breathing coming from a nearby chair. He halted, turning to look at it. A small ghost of a smile tugged at his lips as he swept past the kitchenette to the living area. Namely, the person in the chair.

Gently, a hand swept the loose brown strands that covered his eyes. '_He has long lashes_,' the blond mused, his smile widening marginally. Pausing a moment, he notices the book lying on his lap, opened at a certain page. He tugged it out of the brunette's grip slowly, taking a little bookmark from the table and setting it in place.

As he stood up, he noticed the deep grey eyes on him, lids drooping low, following his every move.

He smiled that ghost smile of his, resting both hands on his hips like a mother would.

"You didn't have to pretend to be asleep, Leon."

His own lips gently tugging upwards, he reached for the older man, pulling him into his lap.

"You call me 'Squall'," he said easily, his husky voice caressing Cloud's ears. "Squall," he repeated, nodding as though approving such a name. He continued to smile at the dark-haired man who had cupped his chin gently. The blond tilted his head forward, allowing their lips to meet, sighing softly as he savoured the rich taste of vanilla, and perhaps cinnamon, of something Squall had eaten earlier, no doubt.

The kiss was sweet, tender. The brunette sucked a little at his lips, moulding it gently in his own. Cloud appreciated this thoughtful sentiment; he was exhausted. The kiss dragged on, Cloud slowly breaking away, resting his forehead on Squall's.

"Any special reason why you stayed up for me?"

Squall caressed his cheek slowly, taking in the musky cologne that he knew Cloud loved to use.

"If I said, 'I want you', would you let me fuck you forty ways to Friday?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed sharply, his face upturning into a scowl.

"No," he replied flatly, pushing himself off Squall. So much for being romantic. The brunette's grasp didn't loosen, attempting to pull the older man back into his lap, but he failed miserably so. He let out his breath in a frustrated sigh, running his fingers through his hair. The blond rolled his eyes, dropping his keys onto the counter.

"Cloud. . ." he began, his tone a little lofty, a little warning. The blond waved him away, flicking on a table lamp and taking things out of his packages and paper bags.

Frowning, he silently watched as his room mate padded around the living area, putting up new things and filling cabinets with food and other things he didn't care to know. He didn't care especially _now_.

He was horny, dammit.

Quietly, he began to scheme a little. He wanted to have his way with Cloud, and he would do it _tonight_. He was resolute. It _would_ happen. They had been together for God knows how many months now, but whenever he raised the issue of his sexual frustration (read: not getting any), Cloud would just scowl and ignore his advances; muttering something about a relationship not based solely on sex alone.

He licked his lips in anticipation.

Right now, Cloud with his dishevelled hair and tired pout (which he never seemed to notice putting on) wasn't just adorable, it was making Leonheart get a raging hard on.

_Tonight_.

Predatorily, he advanced upon the blond, slinking quietly as Cloud was comparing the prices of this and that. Before he could realize what had hit him, he was pinned against the wall, the boxes lying forgotten on the ground.

"Squall," he said, his voice taking a warning tone. "I'm tired. I've had a long day and I want to go to bed." He _was_ tired, and he sure as hell didn't need any crap the younger man had to offer to him this very fine night.

Gazing deep into those enticing, glowing eyes, the brunette deftly began planting light butterfly kisses down his neck, trailing to his throat. He felt Cloud tremble a little under him, and took it as a good sign, releasing one of his hands to slide under his shirt. Exploring Cloud's body with his gentle touch, he started stroking his smooth stomach, enjoying the little shiver that followed before moving upwards, finding a nipple. Squall started rubbing at it, his tongue now sliding over Cloud's collarbone and heading distinctively lower.

Cloud didn't even have the energy to stiffen.

A moan rippled low from his throat, his eyes fluttering close. Knowing very smugly that he had the blond exactly where he wanted _and_ that he wouldn't retaliate, the dark-haired man relinquished his grip and began unzipping Cloud's shirt slowly, allowing the cool air to brush against his skin, hardening his nipples.

Squall dipped even lower, tracing the contours of his chest with his tongue. The older man raised his right hand, grabbing a fistful of his shaggy brown hair, the other hanging limply at his side. Cloud's breathing became a little laboured, making him pant a little, giving the other man yet another to add to his growing list of turn-ons.

His hand stopped rubbing at Cloud's nipple, tracing an invisible line right down to his navel before deciding to press on ahead and massage the blonde's groin.

"And you said 'no'," Squall muttered huskily, feeling how aroused Cloud was growing, and adding on to his feverish high.

By this point, the blond had bent so far forward that he was leaning against Squall for support. In addition to his panting, Cloud began to whimper a little as the other man perused his sensitive spots, knowing exactly which buttons to push. It was infuriating, but at the same time. . . _amazing_.

Squall knew that Cloud had completely given in by now.

"Squall," Cloud choked out, his voice deep and yearning. "I. . ."

Before he could even finish that sentence, he had been hoisted up into a pair of strong, muscular arms. Ridiculously, he felt like a newlywed. He resisted the urge to smack Squall for doing something so stupid, because he knew this was the easiest way for _him_ to get things done.

"Friday, here we come," Squall muttered lightly, a hint of smugness about his tone. Cloud wanted to snort in response, but at the moment, his body was screaming for something else, and he couldn't very well ignore his needs now, could he?

He kicked the door open roughly with his leg, before he strode in, blond in tow. Throwing him onto the bed, he hurried to the door and shut it tight before undoing his belt. Glancing at Cloud, he flashed a tiny smile. The blond didn't respond, apparently still a little heady from before.

Wasting no time, Squall returned to Cloud's side and. . .

. . . stared as the blond snored quietly on the bed.

He blinked.

And then it clicked.

A look of absolute horror crossed Squall's features.

"Wake up!" he hissed, shaking Cloud's shoulders. "_Wake up_! Don't be a fucking _tease_!"

To no avail. Cloud was dead asleep. There was no way to stir the living dead.

With an exasperated groan, Squall buried his face into a pillow, cursing angrily into it. His erection was _throbbing_ and now. . .

He peeked out at Cloud's face.

He had an angelic, almost ethereal glow on his face. The moonlight was streaming through the window, accentuating his feminine features. His cherry lips were slightly parted, almost invitingly, it seemed. His light breathing and the gentle rising and falling of his chest was. . . was. . .

Squall smothered himself once more.

It was making him even _harder_.

* * *

"You don't look so good. You feeling okay, Leon?"

The brunette glared at Yuffie, gathering all the spite he felt into that one, patronizing look.

She caught on.

"Umm, never mind."

There was a light yawn from across the table. Cloud rubbed his eyes sleepily, making him seem even _more_ adorable. He homed in his glare to the blond.

The day wasn't starting off too well.

That morning, Cloud had poked out of the bathroom with a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. Squall tried his best to erase the image from his mind, but there was no such luck.Soon after, the blond had a glazed, sleepy look on his face -- reminiscent to that of a child before going to school sometime in the wee hours of the morning -- as he stared off into space when Squall placed a plate of pancakes in front of him. And then, before he stepped off to work, he had failed to realize that he was wearing his pyjama pants by accident and that his work shirt was buttoned up wrong, provoking a completely cute reaction from the still half-asleep man.

He grit his teeth.

If this continued on, he might just lose control and ravish Cloud where he stood.

"You too, spiky. Didn't get any sleep with big ole macho man around, huh?" she inquired, a brow wagging rather suggestively.

'_Oh, if only_.'

Cloud rolled his eyes in response.

"He tosses and turns and _kicks_ in his sleep. I woke up on the floor," he replied nonplussed. She shrugged, a strange knowing look on her face, that cheeky grin not slipping for a moment.

"I pushed you onto the floor," was a rather harsh reply.

Cloud frowned, taken aback. What was wrong with Squall today? He was exceptionally moody.

"I don't see why you have to."

"I don't see why **you** have to push away all the time."

Cloud's frown deepened. He knew where this conversation was getting at, and he was determined to cut the impending argument prematurely. There was no way he was going to discuss their sex life in front of their friends during their Saturday brunch.

"Let's talk about this some other time, _Leon_," he said, a serious finality to his voice.

"I want to talk about this _now_," he replied stubbornly.

Cloud felt a headache coming on.

An awkward silence lingered momentarily.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you want to discuss something very private. . . in public?" he asked after a while, he voice controlled.

"Yes."

Cloud scowled.

"No."

"Why _not_?"

"This isn't subject to debate," he snapped in response. He was on the verge of throttling the brunette.

"You always seem to make time for so many trivial things, but never a minute for se-"

"Dammit, Squall!" he shouted angrily, getting to his feet. "Don't you ever wonder _why_ I always say 'no'?"

"_No_. You never let me on. You never even let me _in_," he replied, his voice icy.

"I work hard! I work late! I have to keep food on the table! I've got pay the fucking bills! The least you could do is _stop_ jumping on me every time I come home when all I want is some sleep!"

"At least I get my priorities straight! I always make time for you, don't I?"

"**So do I!**"

"Hah, that's a laugh."

"Oh, that would be interesting, seeing _you_ laugh. Can you even manage it? Or have you forgotten along the years, being the statue you always have been?"

"When was the last time you even _attempted_ to make me happy?"

"GODDAMMIT SQUALL, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE SEX!"

"SOMETIMES WITH YOU, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU'RE _SCARED_ TO HAVE SEX!"

"YOU-"

Squall brought his hands down, slamming the table. The café was in an eerie silence, awaiting the next reaction. Yuffie and Aerith stared at the couple wide eyed.

"_Enough_. I'm tired of _you_ doing as you please and _complaining_ that sex is all I ever think about. You don't even seem to care about anything else but yourself, anyways. What I think. . . What I want. . . it doesn't even matter to you, does it?"

Cloud stared at him, his lip trembling a little. There was an unreadable expression in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice was caught in his throat.

Angrily, Squall stormed the building, heading off somewhere, leaving the others speechless.

"Cloud," Aerith began soothingly, sympathy reflecting in her eyes.

He shook his head, clenching his fists. With an utterly _broken_ look, he left them, walking silently in the direction of his workplace.

* * *

**A/N:** Heya. Hanae here with another crappy, short fic. This is actually more of a prologue than anything, and I wanted to increase the count of CLC fics in FFnet. This chapter is just unusually short (since it's 4:13 a.m. where I am.) At first, I wasn't sure whether to lable our dear Leonheart as Leon or Squall, but . . . I guess Squall just stuck. (laughs stupidly) I was a little bored, so I got around proofreading chapters one and two. Nothing too big; just smoothening out the story with more appropriate words. And correcting the typos that seem to, and always only, plague my Author's Notes. I also have just realized that editing your chapters in FFnet's document manager actually _erases spacing_! Hmm. . . new trick to ponder, hehe.

Haha, anyways, Squall/Leon really _is_ **that** needy! What a horrible lover Cloud is. I'm so completely evil! (Cackles)

Ah, to readers, this is not the graphic yaoi fic I promised. This is to compensate for my slowness. (Smiles sheepishly).

Anyways, stick around and review!


	2. Chapter 2

He stalked the alley noiselessly, slouched over in exhaustion.

The last delivery was unbelievably taxing. He would be glad once Sunday came; his day off. He sighed softly, kicking a small pebble as he trudged down the street. The lamps overhead flickered slightly, casting gloomy shadows along the deserted road. Night had fallen, and he was looking forward to a nice, long rest. Maybe if he was a little nice, Squall would let him go to bed without any sexual advances. . .

'_Squall_,' he groaned inwardly. '_You had a fight with him today in front of _half_ the town_.'

He paused a moment, exhaling slowly as the memory flashed through his mind.

"_When was the last time you even _attempted_ to make me happy?"_

"_GODDAMMIT SQUALL, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE SEX!"_

"_SOMETIMES WITH YOU, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU'RE _SCARED_ TO HAVE SEX!"_

Cloud ran a hand through his hair, trying to get the conversation out of his head. He didn't need this. He didn't need _any_ of this. Squall was trying to make him seem like the bad guy here. He resented that. Someone had to work and bring home the bacon. Couldn't he just see that sex wasn't something he needed _now_ of all times?

Cloud sighed in frustration.

It was like Squall needed constant reassurance that they had a relationship. They _did_. Wasn't 'I love you' enough? He didn't say those words to just _anyone_, but Squall had been so intense. . . so serious. . . he wanted to know and make sure that Cloud was just as solemn about having a relationship as he was.

'_For someone about 4 years younger than me, he's pretty demanding_,' Cloud thought grimly.

Squall seemed so dominant outwardly. Cloud would have never guessed how _insecure _he must have really been to demand sex every night. Did someone as mature as Squall _really_ need to be reassured that he wasn't just there for a ride? It wasn't like Cloud was _gay_ and loving it. In fact, he didn't even _swing_ that way before the younger man began poking into his life.

That ghost smile of his tugged gently at his lips.

He vaguely recalled how they met.

It was such an accidental, random initiation. He wouldn't have guessed such a brief meeting would have such a strong impact on him.

Such as shifting his sexuality.

Fate must have been especially sadistic on that day, 3 years ago.

He shook his head. Thinking about Leonheart was making his temples throb a little more than he would have liked.

When was the last time they had argued like that? They had disagreements practically everyday, but that was a full-fledged _debate_. What more about their _sex life_. Even more so in a _public place_. Something was wrong. Something **had** to be wrong for Squall to act the way he did. He was a quiet, reserved, unassuming man. Not the type to go about gossiping or shouting about their personal problems out in the open. It had been difficult enough to persuade him to tell his friends that he was in a relationship with another _man_. Could it _really_ be that they were having relationship problems?

Cloud frowned.

"_When was the last time you even _attempted_ to make me happy?"_

He. . . he _did_ attempt to make Squall happy. . . didn't he?

Cloud always bought an extra box of gummi bears because he knew that the brunette liked to binge on it when he thought no one was looking. He always got a tub of mango sorbet too, since Squall was a healthy eater. But now, because of his work, he didn't even have _time_ to buy the groceries anymore.

Squall took care of that now.

Cloud made sure he brought back photographs as souvenirs from his business trips to console Squall after long periods away from home. His camera broke one day, and he hadn't bothered fixing it. Now, when he returned from the trips, he came home empty handed. He didn't even take the time telling the brunette where or how or what his trip had been like.

Squall never pushed him to tell.

Cloud knew that Squall liked a certain type of flower that grew on the field opposite his office, because he always took his time gazing at it whenever he saw it at a florist or in a glass jar. Cloud used to go out to that field everyday to pluck a few and place in a vase later on when he got home. Ever since he began doing overtime, he didn't even bother _looking_ at the field. He had actually forgotten completely about it. . . until now.

Squall always gave him a tender kiss and a good back rub once he stepped through the door, because he knew how strained his back was after a long day at work.

Cloud's brows furrowed.

Was he. . . was he really ignoring Squall? Were they _really_ drifting apart?

"_GODDAMMIT SQUALL, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE SEX!"_

'_No, it's not_,' a voice told him grimly. '_But it wouldn't hurt to have sex once in a while. It's what lovers _do_. Sometime this century would be good, spiky_.'

He shook his head, trying to get the voice out of his mind.

No. . . **_No_**.

Squall was just giving him a guilt trip. He was probably just upset because he had been refused one too many times. '_It really isn't all about the sex_,' Cloud insisted to himself grimly. Squall was just frustrated. If only he would stop being such a prick, he would understand it too. Squall being frustrated made Cloud even _more_ frustrated. Maybe if he just _did_ give in once in a while, he would. . .

**_No_**.

"_SOMETIMES WITH YOU, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU'RE _SCARED_ TO HAVE SEX!"_

. . . was it true?

Did he. . . did he _really_ come off as being. . . _scared_. . . to have sex?

Cloud swallowed.

'_It really isn't all about the sex_,' he reaffirmed after a while, walking resolutely in the direction of his apartment.

'_It's **not**_.'

* * *

The door opened noiselessly.

It was dark, as per usual. The lights were off, the door was locked. Quietly, he placed his keys on the counter, shuffling through the letters on the table. He turned to see if the brunette occupied his usual place in the easy chair, a book open on his lap. Perhaps he had cooled down by now.

There was nothing there.

He frowned slightly.

After a moment of staring at the chair, he walked over to the answering machine, seeing as how the light had been blinking.

"_Hey, Cloud. Sora here. Leon dropped by today; said he needed to finish some work. He'll probably go back home late, just so you know. He seems really pissed. . . Oh, anyways, I'll see you at Aerith's tomorrow! Riku says he wants you to bring that sweater he left at your house tomorrow. See ya!_"

A beep. End of messages.

So, Squall was at Sora's. That was relief enough for him. It meant he was safe, and that he _knew_ where the brunette was hiding out.

Cloud let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

Immediately, he started for his room, deciding that a nice, hot shower was in order. There was no sex-deprived Squall to drive him up the wall today. He would be able to take his time in the bathroom, and maybe have get a good night's rest.

He couldn't sleep.

No matter how hard he tried, his eyes just wouldn't _close_.

Cloud had all the reason in the world to have the best sleep of his life. There was no sexual harassment, he had all the time in the world to stalk to the bedroom without fear of getting jumped, he had a nice shower, and fluffed up his pillows before getting ready to doze off. Perhaps all that remained was the fear of getting kicks and scratches all over his body the following morning courtesy of the brunette.

He sighed softly.

He missed the warm, muscular arm that would wrap around him and pull him closer. He missed the gentle breath that tickled his skin as Squall nuzzled his neck. He missed the enigmatic fragrance that permeated the brunette, causing him to feel a little heady and light before he dozed off. He missed the soft murmur of his name before the other man fell asleep.

Right now, Cloud realized that he _needed_ Squall; that he _missed_ him.

His ego was taking a severe beating.

Cloud squirmed around under the sheets, trying to make himself a little more comfortable. Maybe if he just rolled around a bit, he would be able to fall asleep.

A door opened.

He heard footsteps plodding about, moving briskly through the apartment. Cloud squinted at the glow-in-the-dark alarm clock on the bedside.

_2:57 a.m._

Their bedroom door opened so abruptly, the brunette was sure he had woken Cloud up by accident. The lump under the sheets remained very still, only the occasional rising and falling of his chest to signal that he was still alive, merely sleeping. Squall stood still for a moment, looking at the blond.

Cloud heard a quiet sigh.

The footsteps began once again, heading to the closet. He heard drawers opening and closing. The rustle of cloth. Open, close. Open, close. There was a louder, muffled sound of clothes being removed. Squall must be undressing. His shirt dropped to the floor, followed by his pants and belt. More rustling of cloth. A drawer slid shut. There was an instance of silence.

Cloud waited quietly; waited for the strong arm to wrap around him tightly, waited for the light kiss on his temple, and the nuzzling, and gentle murmurs.

The door shut.

Still for a moment, he dared to peek.

There was no one there.

* * *

Aerith answered the door with a surprised look on her face.

"Leon! This is. . . shocking, to say the least."

He raised his eyebrows sardonically.

"Is it, now?"

She bit her bottom lip hesitantly, an apologetic expression crossing her features.

"I'm sorry. I was just surprised. Cloud got here a little. . . earlier than usual. He looked completely worn out! It was worse than he would usually look. I told him to get some rest, but. . ."

"Ey, Leon! Nice to see ya! Cloud just- Weeeeeeeell. . . whaddya know?" Yuffie stopped by, a box in her hands. An obscene smile spread across her face.

He grunted in response, uncaring for the moment.

"And how do _I_ surprise you?"

A pretty blush found its way to Aerith's cheeks.

"You, err, you look. . . especially. . . _energized_ today. I was rather. . ."

"You finally did him, didn't ya? Lucky dog!"

"Yuffie!"

"Whaaaat? You were thinking 'bout it too, weren't ya?"

"But. . ."

"I slept on the couch," he replied dully.

Both the girls looked at him, replying with a silent "Oh," though Yuffie seemed considerably deflated. After a moment, Aerith seemed struck with something and smiled sheepishly at the brunette.

"Come on in, won't you?"

He grunted, obliging.

A small crowd had gathered in the living room. The television was airing some news and a handful of people were on the couches, chatting animatedly. Each had a glass of lemonade in hand, talking about this and that with a relaxed air. Riku was talking to Kairi, a soft smile on his face. Cid was sitting by Cloud and Sora, his hands doing rapid gestures as if to prove some point he was projecting.

'_Cloud. . ._'

Cloud was staring blankly into space, scratching behind the ears of Yuffie's tabby cat absentmindedly.

He really _did_ look bad. Cloud was slouching over, a haggard look on his face. There were dark rings under his eyes, his lids drooping low. His blonde spikes were mussed up worse than usual, his lips cracked and dry. He seemed oblivious to the rest of the world, sitting there and sighing quietly to himself.

"Cloud, would you like some lemonade?" a gentle voice asked, tugging him out of his numb stupor.

He managed a tired smile, accepting the glass politely. He took a short sip before setting it on the table in front of him, staring at the TV as he continued scratching the cat's ears again, causing it to purr deeply. The cat seemed to preen, rubbing itself against Cloud's hand whenever he stopped to stroke its head instead.

Squall felt an ounce of distaste for the animal.

"Hey, Cloud. I didn't know you were into pets," a bright voice piped up, making the blonde turn to acknowledge Riku. He smiled that tired smile of his, a hint of pearly white teeth making it become somewhat sheepish a look.

"I like furry things," he murmured, the sheepish grin widening.

Sora and Riku chuckled, amused. Cloud's expression softened a little, rubbing the cat's belly, apparently enjoying himself as he did so. The cat's purred deepened, batting playfully at Cloud's hand in its innocent euphoria.

Squall felt like setting that _thing's_ tail on fire.

He tried to keep his eyes from narrowing. . . _too much_.

He was _not_ jealous of a cat. It was a bloody **_cat_** for crying out loud! It was an animal. It was _just_ an animal. A domestic _pet_. Lots of people have pets. Lots of people have _cats_ as pets. Lots of people like rubbing and stroking their cats. Lots of people enjoyed scratching their cats' ears. Lots of people liked that gentle vibration as cats purred. Lots of people liked their cats purring. It shows they're _happy_. Lots of people like making their cats happy, like making their cats purr. Even if Cloud so obviously liked clinging to it (he never clung to Squall like _that _before), he was **_not_** jealous of a bloody **_cat_**!

"Err, Leon, you okay there buddy?" Sora asked him nervously.

"_Fine_," he snapped unintentionally, his glare still trained on the furry feline currently rubbing its body affectionately against Cloud's stomach.

Riku's smirk widened.

"But. . .to lose to a cat. Looks like the lion is in quite a fix."

He glowered at the silver-haired boy.

"You wanna _say_ something?"

That tone was dangerous and challenging. Riku couldn't help but wonder if that little poke was worth experiencing a fate worse than a thousand deaths. He swallowed discreetly, trying his best to keep his cool mask from slipping.

"Something wrong?"

Squall's eyes narrowed a little too dangerously at Riku, silently promising him something _wonderful_ a little later on, before he turned to the owner of the voice.

Cloud looked at the two of them, frowning thoughtfully.

"Nothing," the boy muttered, staring at the carpet. "I'm hungry," he said, a little more clearly this time, before stalking off to veranda behind Sora and Cid.

Cloud was left alone with Squall.

They eyed each other wearily.

The silence seemed _deafening_.

"_Did you finish the work you had at Sora's?"_

It seemed so difficult to say. He wanted anything to break the tension. _Anything_. Silently, he wracked his brain, trying to convince himself that it shouldn't be so. . . _weird_. . . between them. This would all blow over. He was sure of it. But when he finally gathered enough courage to say something, Squall grunted, halting him. He shuffled to the porch where the others were, leaving Cloud alone with Yuffie's cat.

A little crestfallen, Cloud lowered his gaze.

What was happening to them?

* * *

"_Oy! Get your lazy spiky ass over here!"_

_A lithe, blond man paused, sparing a glance to the bookstore owner. He nodded, setting the box of tools down onto a work table and obediently walked to where the older man stood. He was grinning toothily, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He gazed fondly at his masterpiece, currently set up on the ground._

"_Ain't she a beauty?"_

_Cloud paused thoughtfully._

"_Yeah."_

_The piece of art in front of him was indeed amazing. Lovingly pieced together with Cid's careful, experienced hands, he had created something unconventional; truly marvellous and enigmatic in nature. It had a. . . peculiar exhuberance, somehow capturing and reflecting the character of the man who had scuplted it. Silent and observant. Strong and protective. It was painted with such professionalism, Cloud wondered if it was _really_ Cid who had finished up the display piece in front of him._

_Cid grunted, approving Cloud's response._

"_Alright, now buzz off and grab them antiques from the idiot at the docks. Been forgetting to pick them up for some time already." _

_Snorting, Cloud allowed Cid to push him roughly out of the garage before he could quip that Cid was growing old and bald._

_There was no way in hell he'd let some old fogy boss him about._

"_Let's see. . . I think there's a good bar somewhere to the West of this town. . ."_

_He walked idly, stopping every now and then to glance at items in the display cases of shops. The town was pretty peaceful, and he was still a newcomer, unsure of the location of certain shops and equipment stores. After a few minutes of mindless wandering, he found himself in front of a tavern._

_Close enough._

_As he was about to enter, there was some muffled movement by the side of the building. He hesitated a moment, deciding that a quick look wouldn't delay him from the drink he was playing hooky for._

_He peeked to the side, his hair getting caught in his eyes._

_A young brunette dressed in black was sprawled on the ground, leaning against some crates that were piled by the wall. He had a hand over his face, massaging his temples slightly._

_Cloud crouched by the man, wrenching the hand away. He found himself looking into a pair of stormy grey eyes. _

'A minor_,' he mused, guessing that the brunette in front of him was no older than 18, at most. Cloud noticed the smell of alcohol permeating the younger man._

"_You okay there, buddy?"_

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading chapter 2 of **_Forward Motion_**. As you can see, I am a CLC whore, who was very badly undecided when it came to Mr. Leonheart. Therefore, I shall stick to the reference 'Squall'. Easier, no? You can see how much of an idiot I am to make him jealous of a **_cat_**! Hah! It was fun, though I wish I could have wracked my brain for something a little more intelligent. By the way, my beta-reader is sick of the FF and the KH I've been shoving down her throat, so this fic has been published unedited. I apologise for any grammatical or spelling msitakes. Woops. Hehe.

Anyways, I would appreciate it if you took the time to review. See you in chapter 3.


	3. Chapter 3

"Strife Delivery Service. We deliver _anything_."

"No, no. Say it with more- I dunno, more _feeling_. Stress the 'we'. . . Yeah, that's it!"

"Strife Delivery Service. _We_ deliver _anything_."

"Hmm. . . try a. . . a _huskier_ tone for the 'anything', why doncha?"

"Strife Delivery Service. _We_ deliver **_anything_**. . ."

Yuffie burst into a fit of giggles. Cloud sighed, rubbing his temples slightly. He didn't understand why he even bothered listening to their nonsensical chit-chat at this hour of the day. He didn't even _begin_ to understand how his very stoic friend could put up with Yuffie's childish antics with such a straight face. How the hell could be so damn. . . _submissive_?

"Okay! I know! Try saying 'delivery' with a deeper voice!"

"Strife _Delivery_ Service. _We_ deliver **_anything_**. . ."

Yuffie began giggling again.

"Awesome! How 'bou-"

"Vincent. I think that's enough, don't you?"

The raven-haired man quirked an eyebrow, looking up pointedly at the blond. He noticed the gaunt look in his eyes, the dark rings shadowing his bright blue irises, and how he uncharacteristically slouched over. There had been a great change in his old friend, and he wondered exactly how much Cloud had been pushed over his limit, based on how strained and controlled his raspy voice had been. Vincent pursed his lips thoughtfully, shrugging.

"Not really."

"Great! Now, how 'bou-"

"_Vincent_."

The raven-haired man squeezed his eyes shut, letting out his breath with a slight huff.

"Oh, all right. That's enough, Yuffie. Cloud's getting a headache."

"Whaaa- But, _Vinny_. . ."

His eye twitched a little.

"Vincent."

"But Vinny's a nice na-"

"_No_. Vincent. Anyways, you have some other duties to attend to, don't you?"

Yuffie puffed her cheeks childishly, and muttered something about another shift that would start in about ten minutes. Vincent nodded curtly, giving her a small, affectionate smile, before she gathered her things and bounced off for her job.

"I don't understand how she gets you to do that," Cloud muttered dryly, stirring some sugar into his cup of tea. Vincent raised a brow, bemused. They had been roommates back in boarding school, and somehow managed to end up in the same university shortly after. They had a very understanding and pleasant companionship. Each constantly sticking out for the other; none of them prying when they knew that the other wouldn't tell. It had stretched all the way into their adult lives, and though they had different jobs – Vincent was a psychiatrist with a medical practice specialising in neurology – they had remained in touch.

"Coming from someone who has a man that practically falls all over himself for you, no, I just can't seem to imagine how," he replied coolly, sipping his tea. Cloud gave him a meaningful look, his mouth pressed firmly together. "I resent that."

"Why should you?" Vincent countered. "When you think about it, Leon really _is_ the person who has made the most sacrifices in your relationship. Think about all the others that you've had, Cloud. You were never the one to make the first move. Having someone fuss over you isn't all that bad a thing; though I must say that that Leon fellow makes an interesting subject in this case. . ."

Cloud made a face. _Yeuch_. He _hated_ it whenever Vincent got into one of his psychoanalysations. He never knew when he started, and _damn_ if he knew when to stop.

"Before you ramble on," he said wryly, interrupting the dark-haired man, "Things have gotten a little. . . strained. . . since your last visit to town."

Vincent paused, a frown upturning his lips. He crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat.

"So I've heard."

Cloud frowned.

". . . Leon?"

"No, not directly," Vincent replied thoughtfully. "I was on the phone with him one or two days back. Seemed very peculiar, his mannerisms. Had a hunch that something was off," he said, setting his cup back onto its saucer. He raised a hand carelessly, flagging down a waitress and pointing at his empty pot of tea.

"Ever the observant shrink," Cloud remarked sardonically. Vincent's lips tugged upwards.

"So I've heard."

Cloud rolled his eyes at that, bothering only to sip his tea. Vincent was in an unusually good mood. Not that it was a bad thing, or anything. It was just. . . he didn't know- _frustrating_? Vincent tended to get a little high-flown and crazy when he willed it, as Cloud recalled when Yuffie managed to persuade him to recite Strife Delivery's tagline with her mangled sense of amusement. He frowned. Vincent was a walking contradiction.

"_Noticed my haircut now, have you?"_

Cloud chuckled inwardly.

He remembered that silly exchange about a year back, when Vincent had come over for a visit. Cloud had waited patiently at the door of the café they regulated, whipping his head around to scan the place for him. He had been standing up for a good half hour before deciding to take a seat, assuming Vincent was caught in something, like a traffic jam or a nasty toilet.

He waited at a table for another half hour, constantly flagging down the waiter for a refill and whatnot. When Cloud peeked at his watch and decided to go back and do something more productive, he heard an eerily familiar ringing tone start in the background. He stared, wide-eyed, into a pair of bemused red eyes belonging to a man who was answering his phone, and sporting a (somewhat) neat French crop.

Cloud just gaped.

When Vincent had pocketed his phone, he quirked an eyebrow at the blond, unable to suppress the knowing smile that had tugged at his lips.

"Noticed my new haircut now, have you?"

Cloud blinked, snapping out of it.

"How long have you been waiting there?"

"Long enough to know that you tend to scratch your arm when you're irritable and that you have an unhealthy addiction to coffee creamers. Tell me, do they really taste that good, or do you only eat them to repress rising anger and perhaps, impatience?"

Cloud had scowled in response, switching tables. As a form of apology for Cloud's attentiveness (or lack thereof), Vincent paid for the hefty bill on that day, in a considerably better mood for the rest of his stay.

Cloud always did think that Vincent and Squall were somewhat similar.

When he thought about it, he realised that Vincent's old unruly, long hair was similar to Squall's current shaggy hairstyle. And Vincent's present long French crop was akin to Squall's when he and the blond had first met. Even their broodiness was evenly matched. Cloud supposed that his only consolation was that their personalities were completely different. If that could even be considered a consolation.

He rubbed at his temples, feeling a headache come on.

Squall. That was all he could think about. Even when he didn't want to think about him, he would always find his mind wandering to the brunette. Anything remotely un-Squall-like would often lead back. . . to Squall. It wasn't. . . too bad a thing; Squall wasn't someone that was hard to like after all. It was just. . . well, since their fight, Cloud found himself. . . _obsessing_. And he decided not to think about him anymore, so that things would quickly settle back to normal.

Not working.

Cloud sighed, setting his cup down and massaging the bridge of his nose.

"You're pretty hung up on Leon, aren't you?"

He didn't bother responding.

A light chinking could be heard, and Cloud willed himself to look up at Vincent. The latter had set his own cup down and straightened himself in his seat, smoothening out the creases in his suit.

"I'll give you my consultation, free of charge. What's your problem at the moment?"

Cloud groaned at his business-like tone. He knew it; Vincent was in the mood, and there was no way to dissuade him. Of course, he did somehow feel a little relieved at the reprieve his friend was offering him. God knew that he needed to let all the crap out, and that Vincent was the only person who wouldn't be judgemental about it.

"Sex."

Vincent frowned.

"As per usual?"

Cloud nodded slightly, sighing.

"Don't you think that there's a pattern there, Cloud?"

The blond eyed him wearily, clearly digressing. Vincent was patient and supportive enough, explaining in hushed tones as he had found out about their falling out in the same café days earlier. He was sure that Cloud wouldn't appreciate any extra attention that he might be paid during this conversation.

"Whenever there's a problem in your relationship, I discover that the bottom line is always sex. Has it ever occurred to you that relationships thrive not only on thoughtfulness, and romance, but also on sexual endeavours? Lots of break ups are caused by sexual frustration you know. If you keep this up, you might never have a relationship that will last."

Cloud frowned, his mind troubled.

". . . You _do_ remember. . . **_him_**. . . don't you?"

Vincent sighed, closing his eyes. He knew that Cloud would always bring him up; that he would always hide behind the man that started this problem. As supportive and kind as he tried to be, Vincent realized that he might just be babying Cloud a little too much by allowing him to get away with it. He opened an eye, peeking into a deep, azure one, mixed emotions swirling around.

Damn.

"Yes, I do."

". . .Vincent. . ."

"Move on. You should. It's been years, and you're in a new relationship. You've had plenty of new relationships since _him_, but I can see that you're particularly worked up over this Leon fellow. Make it work, for once. Just give in, and maybe sex won't be as horrible as you remember it to be," he told Cloud curtly. He knew that the blond wanted to retaliate, but beat him to it.

"I have things to do. I'll be seeing you, Cloud. And for once, take my advice."

* * *

Rain was falling down lazily, drenching the pavement in smooth grey hues. The sky was dim, black clouds hanging low in the sky and obscuring the Sun.

Squall looked up through the glass display case, making a mental note of things to do before he headed home. His shift was going to end soon, and Aerith would be over to take care of the bookshop. She was running a little late, but he didn't really care. It wouldn't make much of a difference if he was home late or early, anyway. Cloud always returned after midnight.

He ran his fingers through his hair.

Squall felt. . . a little regretful for lashing out at the older man the way he did those few days before. He had completely lost control, the reason for it being something that he _still_ couldn't put a finger on, and completely humiliated of the two of them. To talk about sex in public. . . God, something really was taking a toll on him. It wasn't like he hadn't fought with Cloud over. . .things like _this_. . . before, but. . . everything was just blown out of proportion.

But he wasn't wrong. And he knew that Cloud knew it.

Cloud. . . Cloud was getting the brunt of it. Whenever Squall saw him, he was unimaginably more tired looking than from the day before; constantly running around wherever his job took him. Ever since their argument at the café, rumours had begun circulating and a lot of his customers backed out. He didn't have the luxury to pick and choose jobs as he once did, and was forced to undertake the few assignments he had, and _most_ of them weren't even in town; usually flung out across the state. Apart from that, he could see that the blond had been mulling things over, and from his lack of sleep, things weren't looking too bright for Cloud health-wise.

Squall sighed tiredly. This was his fault. And inside, he knew that he had hurt Cloud too. For the few short months that they had been together, he had grown and learned a lot of things – small things, bad habits, cute routines – about the blond. His parents were in a different part of the world, enjoying their retirement, and that he was an only child, breaking away from his family's bookshop business and selling it to Cid so that he could make things out on his own. But for all he knew, he had found that there were various blanks that had yet to fill out yet; things that happened in the past that Cloud wasn't going to, or hadn't gotten round to sharing.

He didn't want to seem pushy or anything. After all, Cloud never pried. But Squall _did_ want to know more about him, as ironic as it may seem, and. . . he wanted Cloud to _want_ to get to know him better too.

"Ey, Leonheart! Get your ass outta this joint! You're scaring my customers away!" a gruff voice rang out, snapping him out of his musings.

He turned away from the glass display case and looked into a pair of kind eyes. Aerith was here, and his shift was over. Finally.

"Thanks for your hard work," she said, her gentle voice carrying through the room as he put on a trench coat, took his things and stepped out. He grunted in response, allowing the glass door to shut behind him.

The rain was cool against his skin, drenching his clothes and making them stick to his body. He trudged along the streets, staring at the ground as he made his way to the drug store, and then the green grocer. It was his usual routine, though the rainy season was making it particularly irritating to plod through town for everyday sundries, _especially_ when he didn't have an umbrella or anything of the sort.

He had narrowly missed getting doused by a wave of rain water that had gathered in deep puddles by the curb, courtesy of a speeding Rolls. He cursed under his breath, though inwardly, he did yearn for a sleek, leather-furnished car that he could call his own. Not like that. . . that. . . that _thing_ Cloud rode everyday. Fenrir. Or whatever he called his bike. Honestly, how could anyone ride that thing without getting _thrown off_ or even worse, _crashing_ headlong into cars because it was too big?

Cloud. Ever the contradiction.

Squall hadn't realized it, but he had somehow made his way up the elevator and was fumbling with his keys, attempting to balance everything else in his other arm.

The door opened.

He looked up, startled, into a pair of molten blue eyes, his lips parted in disbelief.

"You-"

"You're soaked."

It hadn't been a comment or anything, but more of a statement. Cloud immediately took the soggy paper bags from the brunette's arm and brought them inside, leaving Squall in the doorway, gaping at the blond. He had set the things on the counter, taking out each article and putting them away. He was in his pyjamas, apparently he had been preparing for bed. Abruptly, he looked up at Squall, a pointed look about him.

Squall snapped out of his stupor and trudged inside, taking off his soaked trench coat and thin jacket. A trail of water dripped steadily onto the marble floor as Squall made his way in hesitantly. As though sensing the silent questions, Cloud returned to the groceries, throwing away the bags into a nearby bin.

"I met Vincent today."

Squall's lips pressed together to form a thin line. Of course. Vincent Valentine.

"You should. . . you should take a shower."

Suppressing the pang of jealousy that threatened to rise inside him, he merely shrugged.

Squall began to move around the apartment as well, setting his things aside and just going on with this and that. Cloud had looked on silently before making his way to the bedroom. After the door had closed firmly, the brunette sighed, running his fingers through his wet hair.

Things weren't looking up. Not at all.

He entered their room, eyes homing in on Cloud who was sitting up, reading a book. The blond was too immersed in the mangle of words in the hardback novel pressed in his hands to look up. Like there would be anyone else in the doorway, anyway.

Silently, Squall made his way to the bathroom, closing the door roughly behind him. He stripped his clothes off, leaving them in an uncharacteristically wet mess on the tiled floor. As he allowed the hot water to wash his cold skin, his mind wandered to the day's happenings; without latching onto anything in particular, quietly sighing to himself.

By the time he had stepped out , it was already nearly 11, though Cloud was still in the same position, flipping through the pages.

Squall pursed his lips, but said nothing. A towel hugged his hips loosely, water glistening on his well-toned body as he walked to the dresser and took out a fresh change of clothes. He slipped on a pair of boxers, and put on a thin singlet before discarding the towel. He glanced at Cloud.

Still nose-deep in the damn book.

He sighed in resignation, walking over to take his pillow before heading for the couch. As he grasped the doorknob, he heard a soft 'thud', a gentle voice sighing before speaking out.

"Sleep in bed tonight."

Squall halted, looking back slightly.

". . . You want me in bed?"

Cloud frowned a little at the wording, but Squall didn't seem to be projecting any hidden meaning so he took it as a signal to continue.

". . . Yes."

"Yes what?"

Cloud sighed.

"I want you. . . to sleep with me tonight. In the bed. You were caught in the rain; you might catch a cold if you stay on the couch. . ."

Silently, Squall released his grip of the knob and walked awkwardly towards the bed. Cloud scooted over, giving the brunette room to slip in under the blanket. As he fluffed up his pillow for a good night's rest, his arm brushed up against Cloud's hand. Before he could register what was happening, he felt his hand taken in by a pair of warm ones, those deep blue eyes gazing concerned into his.

"You're freezing."

He liked it, how warm Cloud was. He liked how their fingers intertwined perfectly, and that the heat from his hand was spreading through his fingertips slowly to the rest of his body. He didn't want to let go of that warmth; he was cold as hell, but. . . he wanted to hold Cloud in his arms and share that warmth between them.

But his mind was busy being egoistic.

Squall merely grunted, roughly pulling away from Cloud's fragile grasp. The blond eyed him silently, sighing a little.

"It's. . . I'm. . . I'm sorry. You're. . .right. I really am the one being cold, aren't I?" he asked, a tired look on his face. His eyes were downcast as he slouched over. Squall looked at him, taking in his exhausted figure before breaking the silence.

"I don't hate you. But. . . I don't want you to be so closed-off. You're you. I can live with that."

Cloud looked up slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips. Cloud's rare smile. Squall loved everything about it. He liked how Cloud's eyes lit up a little, and how his features softened. He liked how Cloud's expression relaxed, and how he would just _glow_.

Cloud leaned forward, cupping Squall's chin gently and kissed his cold lips with his warm ones. It was tender, soft. Squall tilted his head at just the right angle, allowing his tongue access into Cloud's mouth. He pulled the blond towards him, deepening the kiss. Cloud's hand had dropped to the front of his singlet, grabbing the thin fabric in a tight fist as he allowed Squall to press deeper, tongue probing exploringly.

Unconsciously, Squall's stray hand had found its way under Cloud's pyjama top, stroking his smooth stomach. He felt the blond shiver slightly at his cold touch, and remembered that Cloud didn't want anything of the sort. He quickly withdrew his hand.

"_Just give in, and maybe sex won't be as horrible as you remember it to be."_

Quite slowly, Cloud broke the kiss, a hand grasping his would-be retreating one. He gazed down at it, locking their fingers together. He felt Squall's cold fingers absorbing the warmth from his own, and squeezed it slightly. Squall found himself looking down at them as well, squeezing back. They sat in that position for that intimate moment, Squall resting his forehead against Cloud's.

". . . I don't want it. . .to be painful."

Squall blinked, allowing the words to sink in. As he looked down into those outlandish eyes, he found himself unable to suppress the smile that had found its way to his lips.

"As if I would ever hurt you."

He pressed his lips against Cloud's, this time a little more forcefully. A low moan rippled from the blond as he pulled him down onto the bed, in a less confined position. Lying flat on his back, Cloud wrapped his arms around Squall's neck, allowing the kiss to deepen even more so. Squall had begun stroking his stomach again, feeling the ridges of Cloud's ribs; moving up before heading a lower. He had a knee at Cloud's groin, nudging gently. Cloud moaned again, louder this time, grabbing a fistful of his brown hair. The kiss became more raw, more passionate; it was fast and demanding, _amazing_.

They separated abruptly, both panting violently for air. Their gaze locked for a moment, though Cloud's lids were drooping low, threatening to flutter close. Squall dipped low, planting light kisses down his throat, and nipping slightly at a sensitive spot, enjoying the shudder that followed. He pulled Cloud up against the headboard so that he was propped up slightly, undoing the buttons of his top. Squall's tongued trailed down across his collarbone, tracing the contours of his chest before lapping at a hardened nipple.

Cloud groaned, shuddering at Squall's touch.

Squall withdrew for a moment, enjoying the view of Cloud's fair body and the slight whimper that came from the blond at the loss of touch. Squall attacked his neck with kisses yet again before trailing to his mouth and initiating another frenzied kiss. His hand had already wandered down, and pulled at the elastic waistband of Cloud's pants. . .

_. . . blood. . . pain. . . silver. . . laughter. . . smirk. . . ugly smirk. . . darkness. . . glinting. . . metal. . . pain. . . _**pain**_. . . blood. . . rust. . . wet. . . sharp. . . cold. . . salty. . . tears. . . pain. . . destroy. . . hurt. . . disgusting. . . eyes. . . sharp. . . metallic. . . pain. . . silver eyes. . . cruel eyes. . . blood. . . pain. . . hurt. . ._

_Sephiroth._

Cloud's eyes widened, pushing Squall off him with all the strength he could muster. The brunette fell off the bed, yelping slightly as he landed on his back. Ignoring the pain, he jolted up furiously, fully intending to smack the blond a few for pulling such a stupid stunt, when _he_ had asked for it! As he opened his mouth to snap at Cloud, he stopped himself taking in the pathetic figure before him.

Cloud was trembling, pulling at his shirt so that it would cover him a little, blankets wrapped tightly around his small frame. His eyes. . . they were a mix of. . . something so unreadable, something that burned through. It was as though he was in some sort of pain that was twisting inside him agonizingly.

"Cloud. . ." he whispered after a moment, reaching out for him.

Cloud shook his head, burying his face inside the blankets.

". . .I'm sorry. . . I-I. . .I j-just. . . I _can't_. . . I just _can't_. . . It's-It's not that I don't. . . _can't_. . . I'm sorry. . . I want to. . . I j-just. . ."

He flinched as a pair of strong arms pulled him down into a lying position. Struggling a little, he attempted to break away from any contact between them. His body was screaming for it, lord only knew how much he wanted it, but his mind. . . his mind was unrelenting. He shivered a little at Squall's cold touch, turning in such a way that his back was facing him.

Carefully, gently, the brunette pulled closer, wrapping his arms around Cloud. After a few minutes, he relaxed; still trembling, but considerably calmer than before. He held the blond close, nuzzling his neck slightly and listening to his gentle breathing. He felt a shaking hand grasp his own, squeezing it. He squeezed back.

What had happened? What had happened in the past that could have scarred Cloud so badly? He hadn't a clue, but he was determined to find out. Someone would have to know. Cloud probably wouldn't say it out straight, so Squall would have to do a little hunting.

"_I met Vincent today."_

Vincent. Vincent Valentine.

Looks like he had a purpose, after all.

As Cloud slowly drifted off to sleep, Squall found himself pulling the blond even closer, holding him protectively as though he would drop and break into a million pieces. Fragile and beautiful. . . Cloud was. . . Cloud was. . .

He willed himself to sleep, praying silently that with all his might, he wouldn't kick the blond during his well-deserved rest.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey there. Chapter 3 up faster than I initially imagined. To tell you honestly, I didn't enjoy writing this chapter. I was void of any proper inspiration **_and_** I was actually very much stuck. Have the plot laid out and all, but I found it really hard to tie things together with this chapter. I managed it eventually, so yeah. In fact, I'd have to say the only thing I like about this chapter is Vincent, and Vincent going, "Strife Delivery Service. _We_ deliver **_anything. . ._**" XD

Anyways, the make-out scene wasn't my best, but I hope you can put it past you. Still improving, after all. Oh, and I'll probably just throw in a couple of FFVII and FFVIII characters for the hell of it.

Review!


	4. Chapter 4

Squall felt a warm hand claw at his back as heat began to rise rapidly inside him. His erection was throbbing madly now. They were both naked, slicked with sweat, panting violently. Clothes were strewn uncaringly on the bedroom floor. Cloud's eyes were threatening to flutter closed, a sensual smile on his face. He moaned with a deep, unrestrained yearning, pulling the brunette even closer so that their erections would rub against each others'. Squall smirked, dipping low to nip at the crook of his neck. He sank his teeth in a sensitive spot, enjoying how the blond shuddered underneath him; the small stretch of skin slowly turning an angry shade of red. He felt the metallic tang of blood, and lapped at it.

A stray hand was brushing the smaller man's body, stroking slowly across Cloud's smooth stomach before moving a little lower. Squall had begun trailing light kisses down his throat, licking opulently at his chest. His fingers were firmly wrapped around Cloud, giving it a tight squeeze and producing a breathy gasp from the blond.

He rubbed at its head a little, making Cloud writhe underneath him. Squall smiled, catching his lips in his own and crushing his mouth against the older man's. His tongue was probing him uncontrollably, taking in the smooth flavour of something saccharine. Cloud moaned pleasurably, thrusting his hips upwards into Squall's grip. The brunette's hand was busy sliding up and down, working him furiously. Cloud groaned, sucking a little as his own tongue began to push insistently against Squall's. The blond gripped fistfuls of dark brown hair, pulling him away a little roughly so that he could breathe.

Cloud grabbed Squall's busy hand, his face red and his entire body burning up with every touch. The brunette raised his eyebrows enquiringly, still a little heady from the kiss. It seemed as though Cloud was hitting his peak, too. . .

"I want to reach it together," he whispered breathily, his voice low. Cloud pulled Squall down for another deep kiss, the younger man shifting his position slightly so that they were more comfortable. They abruptly pulled away again, their lungs burning for air. Squall raised his hand to Cloud's mouth, the blond gripping his wrist and sucking at his fingers in such a _dirty_ manner, it Squall want to just take him at _that exact moment_.

Cloud's lips were parted, revealing pearly white teeth and allowing a trail of saliva to dribble down his mouth and onto Squall's hand.

After a brief moment, Squall pulled away and pushed one of Cloud's leg up, propping it onto his shoulder. He inserted one slick finger into Cloud's entrance, feeling the blond stiffen a little. He inserted a second one, and a third, and then spread them a little, for good measure.

"Hurry," Cloud pleaded, squirming a little. Squall smirked, inserting a _fourth_ finger, making the blond throw his head back and groan.

"Goddammit, _put it in **now**_, Squall!"

Apparently just as needy as Cloud, Squall straightened up, pulling out his fingers. The blond whimpered a little – shivered a little in anticipation – but remained still nonetheless. Squall carefully aimed for Cloud's entrance, smearing whatever was left on his hand onto his gathered heat before going in with a sharp thrust.

Cloud shouted.

Squall had been ready to melt from sheer pleasure at the simply _delicious_ sounds Cloud was making, and at how sweet and tight and hot he was. He pulled it out slowly, driving in again and again, with more force and getting into a frenzied rhythm. Cloud began to writhe, began to scream out his name. Thrice, he noted, but Squall had stopped counting altogether when the blond told him to 'just ram it in'. He felt his entire body shudder at how _good_ it felt, sure that they would come together after two or three more thrus-

Squall's eyes fluttered open, his boxers feeling a little too restricted for his tastes. There was a warm, wet spot at his groin, slowly spreading across the flimsy fabric. He blinked a little, a small voice in the back of his mind telling him not to forget to wash up later.

His arm was wrapped around something warm and soft. He squinted, eyes already getting used to the dimness. Squall eyed the gentle rising and falling of Cloud's chest, his hair mussed up a great deal from sleep.

'_So I hadn't kicked him_,' he mused automatically, a hand rising to push away a few strands that were covering his eyes. He looked so gentle and young when asleep, immediately vanquishing any provocative thoughts Squall had harboured moments earlier. He gratefully noticed that he hadn't moved around in his sleep this time; only the blond had shifted so that his head was nuzzled at the crook of his neck instead of with his back facing Squall.

Cloud was curled up in a slight foetal position, a warm hand draped loosely around Squall's waist.

It had been a good dream. A good dream courtesy of last night's curtailed romp, to be exact, but Squall decided not to pick at any details this time. Cloud had looked so desirous and needy. . . an expression of complete deference and longing for _him_. Squall sighed a little, closing his eyes so that the image would be imprinted into his mind for a little later on.

It had been one of the more normal dreams. There had been times when Squall had, surprisingly enough, imagined Cloud as a young _woman_. He _was_ bisexual, after all. Sometimes a change was in order when it came to fantasizing, just because. But, for the sake of argument, Cloud's features were soft and feminine, and the presence and absence of certain parts on his body made him a pretty convincing – not to mention _sexy_ – woman.

Then, there had been dreams about Squall ravishing Cloud in the bathroom, on the counter at the bookshop, and interestingly enough, on Cid's work table in his garage. Not to mention Cloud was wearing positively _kinky_ apparel, but Squall decided to dismiss his train of thought when he heard Cloud stirring,

Blue irises peeked out from under long, blond lashes, sleepily adjusting his eyes to the light. Patches of faint sunlight were streaming in through the curtains, illuminating the room in a soft, orange glow. Cloud pried an eye open, noticing the deep grey eyes that were on him, and muttered something incorrigible before squeezing them shut and squirming under the covers.

Quirking an amused brow, Squall shifted a little, prodding the blond in the shoulder.

He was dutifully ignored.

Squall raised himself, crawling on top of Cloud and resting his chin on his chest, a hand creeping up and pinching the older man's nose lightly. Cloud merely wrinkled his nose in response, his brows knitting together in mild irritation. He mumbled something curt before turning away very slightly. Squall smirked a little, bringing his face up to Cloud's for a kiss.

Cloud felt a little stuffy, noticing that his personal space getting invaded very much so by the brunette. He felt his warm breath tickling at his skin and groaned a little in protest, his hands pushing the younger man away lightly.

"Squall. . . Not now. . ."

Bemused, Squall swatted his hand away and was on all fours, effectively trapping the blond beneath him. Cloud's had reluctantly opened his eyes, still a little groggy. His gaze wandered, taking in Squall's sleep mussed hair and uncannily twinkling eyes, to the smooth scar that ran through his eyebrows, down to the smirk that was playing across his lips.

Suddenly, Cloud felt a little vulnerable.

A cool hand was stroking his cheek lightly, moving up to part his tender lips. Squall began to stroke his lower lips gently, continuously. "Morning," the brunette whispered huskily, enjoying how the blond swallowed a little. He wasn't going to do anything that Cloud wouldn't like, not after-

Last night. _Last night_. He still remembered the horror that tinged Cloud's voice. He hadn't cried or anything, but he was just. . . _terrified_.

Squall smiled easily, trying to relax the blond. Cloud eyed him hesitantly before deciding that he wasn't going to try anything and leaned back into the soft mattress. The brunette was still stroking his lips with his thumb, stopping for a moment to cup his chin. He gazed deep into those blue eyes, unblinking, causing the older man to swallow yet again at the intensity of the look. Squall gently raised his face so that he'd have better access.

And pinched Cloud's nose; this time without relinquishing his grip.

"Let me try that again," he smiled, amused. "Morning."

Cloud's eyes narrowed to a degree, glaring at the brunette. With an annoyed sigh, Cloud rolled his eyes, his mouth open and ready to reply. . .

. . . when suddenly, those blue irises widened, Cloud hastily kicking the brunette off of him.

Squall scrambled up from the floor, scowling. He blinked at the disgusted look on Cloud's face, but the blond wasn't looking directly at him. Squall followed his line of sight.

His own eyes widened at the wet spot that was _very prominent_ on his boxers.

"Hey, it's not what you think," Squall quipped hastily, swiftly crawling back onto the bed towards Cloud. The blond was already sitting upright, his arms crossed as he glared coldly into Squall's grey eyes. He was prevented from moving any closer, and resolutely sat on Cloud's knees.

"I'm serious," Squall insisted, his brows knitting together. He was. He really was. He hadn't planned on trying _anything_ at all. The blond was silent for a moment, his lips pressed firmly together in a thin line. After a brief instance, Cloud sighed in irritation, shoving Squall off as he made for the shower stiffly. The brunette sat upright, his eyes widening by a margin. Cloud, _not_ a morning person, never took the shower first. _Never_.

"Forget it. I don't want to care," Cloud said through gritted teeth.

Squall couldn't help but feel a little hurt at his coldness, unable to stop from retorting, "I wasn't going to do _anything_, for God's sake!" Cloud paused, his eyebrows raised sardonically. He pointed at Squall's groin.

"It wasn't there last night."

Squall scowled.

"It's _because_ of last night. This means it's _your_ fault too."

Cloud pursed his lips, apparently caught. After a while, he exhaled sharply and stepped towards the bathroom.

"Whatever. I just don't want to hear you jerking yourself off in the shower."

"Goddammit, I sure as hell won't be screaming _your_ name! You obviously don't scream out _mine_!" Squall snapped angrily in response as the door slammed shut. Irritably, he ran a hand through his hair, smoothening out the messy brown locks as he regulated his breathing.

Damn, this wasn't going to be a good day.

* * *

He looked up thoughtfully into those stormy grey eyes, narrowed to a degree. Vincent pursed his lips in response, merely arching a brow as he leaned back into his seat.

"Please tell me you'll at least be civil to me throughout the day."

A grunt.

Vincent sighed, shaking his head condescendingly.

"Fine. But I want to know exactly what happened the first time you two met."

Squall knitted his brows, scowling.

"_I'm_ not the one desperate for information here. And besides, it's something that interests me. If I know what happened to him all those years ago, I might be able to paint a clearer picture for you _and_ me, Leon."

He had a point. Squall absolutely _hated_ that Vincent was right, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.

He just grunted.

Vincent rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. He exhaled sharply, impatiently.

"Sometime this century would be good, Leon."

The brunette merely narrowed his eyes, but complied; deciding that the answers Vincent had was far more important than any left over anger that had carried on from this morning.

"I was drunk. He found me outside the bar. He brought me back home, to Cid's place. They patched me up," he said dully, his expression that of mild irritation.

"That is what I already know. Of all the people Cloud chose to be with. . . he just _had_ to pick someone as closed off as he is," Vincent said derisively, snorting. Squall scowled.

Usually, they were on friendlier terms. This awkward stand-offish-ness only popped up when the younger man had had a fight or something of the sort with the blond. Vincent had realized long ago that Squall had the tendency to become a little jealous of him when he and Cloud were on bitter terms, supposedly because of how deep-rooted their friendship was. Of course they had _never_ been like that. Heavens, no. Cloud had been as straight as a line, though Vincent was a little more open when it came to his sexual tendencies. . .

"Fine."

Vincent forced himself away from his musings, blinking at Squall.

"Really?"

Squall pressed his lips together in a thin line. Vincent caught the hint, quickly settling himself in for something that would undoubtedly prove to be an interesting story.

"I was drunk. He found me outside a bar. . ."

_"You okay there, buddy?" _

_There was a quiet groan as the young man shifted in his position, slumping over. He felt like a few hundred thousand watermelons were being thrown from 50 meter high buildings, smashing continuously into his head. He attempted to say something along the lines of 'Leave me alone,' but somehow seemed unable to string together any coherent form of speech. _

_He squinted at the figure over him, hoping to be able to shove him off or something along those lines. Perhaps the man would be able to take a hint and just let a drunken guy be. _

_Blue eyes. Soft, bright blue eyes. Bluer than any sky; deeper than any ocean. Aquamarine, azure, sapphire. . . No, something else. Something more _beautiful_. Golden hair. Golden hair illuminated by the street lamps overhead, casting the illusion of a glowing halo bouncing off the light. A crown of gold. A tender smile. Beautiful and demure. Small, but sweet. Gently tugging at the corner of his lips. It was there but. . . almost wasn't. Like a ghost smile. _

_He blinked up at those unnaturally blue eyes, feeling himself melt at the man's gentle touch. It was undeniably comforting. . . so warm and secure his touch was. _

I killed someone.

_Wait, what? _

It's all my fault. I was so scared. I was so helpless. I didn't really mean to, but I couldn't help it. It's all my fault.

_Hang on one bloody second. _

Kind. Always kind. Right before my eyes, but I couldn't do anything. I killed someone. I feel so dirty. Had a gun to the head, was crying; smiling. Always had a kind smile. Couldn't reach for the gun in time. _I killed someone_. The blood won't go, no matter how hard I scrub at it. It won't ever go. I was right there. I was _right there_. Never will wash away. I _killed_ someone. Never coming back. Never will smile or laugh or cry. I despise myself. I _killed_. . .

_All of it had rippled out unintentionally. He looked up to see that those blue eyes were widened. Disgust, no doubt. Maybe even fear. The brunette had wanted to scoff at that. Fear of a miserable drunk? What a laugh. He felt the man's gaze drop, his hand running across his wrinkled shirt. _

_". . . geroff. . ." _

_A chuckle. A genuine one. _

_His voice was lovely, too. It was deep, commanding. . . but. . . gentle. As though he was saying every word with caution; as though speaking with some sort of smooth air of calmness and honesty. _

_He shook his head mentally. _

_The beer was _definitely_ getting to him. _

_"Let's get you outta this place," the voice said this time, gently hoisting the brunette up onto his feet. The younger man felt his arms get pulled over a mess of soft hair, slinging around a warm neck. A hand gripped his side firmly, dragging his feet along the ground as he took steady strides. The drunk didn't even bother to resist, simply allowing himself to melt at the warmth this kind Samaritan provided. _

_His mind, meanwhile, was wandering. Therefore, he hadn't realized it when the man had stopped walking and was knocking at a door. _

_"What type of shit you draggin' 'ere, Cloud?" _

_He had wanted to scowl at the disagreeable blond blur standing in the doorway, but the light from the room was glaring his eyes and so he decided to bury his head into the man's shoulder instead. He heard someone snort, but only vaguely. The kind man didn't move, rather, he tightened his grip around the younger man so that he'd feel more comfortable. _

_Hushed voices. They spoke in quiet tones before the crude old man in the doorway relented and allowed the man – what was his name, Cloud? – to bring him into the warm building. He felt something soft beneath him, and crumpled in a heap on top of it. _

_He faintly recalled slapping away someone's hand, receiving a string of curses in response. He heard that soft chuckle once more, and some exchanged words that he couldn't really make out. He heard a door close. A warm hand cupped his chin, parting his lips gingerly to allow something cool to pass through his throat. _

_Another hand caressed his forehead smoothly, continuously. The younger man felt a finger brush his face. _

_"Shh. . . don't cry. Everything's all right. Don't you cry. . ." _

_He had never felt so serene before, allowing himself to slowly drift to sleep at the man's – Cloud's – warm touch. _

_What's your name? _

. . . Squall.

_By the time he opened his eyes, the sun had already risen. _

_Squall groggily pried an eye open, a patch of sunlight on his face, streaming in through the curtains. For a moment, he felt a little lost. He vaguely recollected stumbling into a bar and drinking himself to death. Blood. There had been lots of blood. He thought harder, delving deeper into his memories. A smile. . . and a gunshot. _

_There really wasn't much else, but he did remember. . . _

_Blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes. And soft, golden hair. And a gentle, yet deep voice. _

_"I see you're awake. Up for any breakfast?" _

_Squall forced himself to sit up, but felt a warm hand push him back onto the mattress. He had been tucked carefully into a thick blanket. From the corner of his eye, he noted a bucket sitting by him. _

_"Don't push yourself. You were wasted real bad last night. How do you feel?" _

_Willing his head to work, Squall found himself staring up at the man who had sat on the bed, by him. _

_Concerned blue eyes. Cherubic golden hair. _

_"Y-y-you-" _

_"It's fine. You can tell me in your own time," he allowed the corners of his lips to tug reassuringly. ". . . Squall." _

What's your name?

_. . . Cloud. _

_Days passed by as the brunette recovered. He had refused to speak to anyone else but Cloud. Needless to say, Cloud became his caretaker; helping him get back to his feet without ever pushing the issue of his past or identity. _

_Squall often wondered why. _

_The brunette wasn't much of a talker. Very similar to Cloud. It somehow made them a little closer, one able to understand the other without having to say much to get anything across. Which was fine, really, since it appeared that Squall disliked having to talk to anyone else. _

_Aside from Cloud. _

_". . . I killed someone." _

_The blond man looked up from his book, a little surprised. Squall hesitated, wondering if it was wise to bring up such a subject. The younger man looked into those cool blue eyes, his resolve wavering a little. Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned it at all. _

_"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Cloud told him reassuringly, walking over to Squall. The younger slowly shook his head, his gaze downcast. _

_". . . I need to. I. . . I want to," he muttered, shifting in his seat so that Cloud could join him on the couch. The blond nodded silently, motioning for him to continue. Glancing at him gratefully, Squall chewed on his lip a little before telling him all that had happened; all that he recalled. The blood, and the smell of gunpowder, and the screams. And then the body that fell heavily into his arms, a graceful smile that was frozen in death. His inability to prevent someone he cared for so deeply from death. He had been standing _right there_, but was still too weak to stop the trigger from being pulled. _

_Pent up emotions that had been swirling inside him had been threatening to explode, but when he suddenly felt a warm hand squeeze his own, he felt everything just diffuse. Everything was washed away. No more frustration. No more pain. No more confusion. He glanced into those gentle blue eyes. Cloud gave him a small smile. _

_All he felt was comfort, security. _

_Maybe that was the reason he and Cloud had been so close. That understanding. He never was able to put a finger on it, but he found that he didn't really care. Cloud somehow coaxed him into reliving life again, daring him to step outside the comfort of the house and bask under the sunshine. _

_Squall had been terrified; afraid that everyone would view as some sort of monster. _

_He had _killed_ someone. _

_He remembered Cloud telling him that a monster couldn't possibly feel remorse. A monster would shy away from the sun, and shy away from other people. He had constantly reaffirmed that Squall was a normal person – not a monster – and that when he stepped out and bathed in the sunshine, he would truly understand what it meant to be human. _

_Forget, he said. Forget and start all over again. _

_Squall remembered looking up to Cloud for being someone so strong and confident; for not pushing him away. And so, for Cloud's sake, he promised to try. _

_Perhaps, most importantly, because Cloud was leaving, and his work wouldn't let him bring anyone else along. _

_Squall had to remain with Cid. _

_Cid had, with some degree of reluctance, accepted Squall as an employee at the bookshop after Cloud left. He taught the man various skills with an unanticipated amount of patience; as though understanding all the frustration the young brunette was facing. He said that he was tired of seeing him mope around, wasting his life – and Cid's money – away, hidden in an old house. _

_"For starters, if ya wanna start new, change your appearance or your name or some shit like that," the old man had told him gruffly one day, chewing on a cigarette. _

_Change. Something to live by, something to do. Change wasn't something that he enjoyed entirely, no, but he felt like it was a way to live properly. He felt like he wouldn't be so tainted. A change of person. Maybe, with this change, he'd be able to be _free

_"From now on. . . call me Leon."_

Vincent nodded thoughtfully, though he abruptly spoke up a moment later.

"I don't see how you switched his sexual preference from any of your memoirs, Leon."

Squall narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"That's personal."

Vincent pursed his lips, his red eyes flashing dangerously.

"I think I can understand that. I was hoping that you could perhaps give me a rough overview, Leon," he remarked dryly, raising a brow.

The brunette frowned slightly, a little hesitant in his explanation. After a silent moment, he decided that the safest way was to be _very_ roundabout. Right. That would do neatly.

"Two days before he left, we went to the bar and had a couple of drinks; not enough to get a hangover the next day, but just enough. About one or two. Then, we went back and had sex."

Okay. So much for being roundabout.

Vincent didn't seem too put-off, and Squall wondered uneasily if it were normal for him. The dark-haired man had averted his gaze, evidently deep in thought.

". . . I never thought Cloud would be the type of person to. . . _try_ anything out, especially since he wasn't all that drunk," Vincent said after a moment, an acerbic look on his face. Squall fought off a blush that was threatening to mar his complexion. Like he had said; it was something _personal_, and he wasn't going to tell the whole world about. Especially _not_ Vincent.

But he _still_ had the all answers.

"He didn't. I kind of. . . forced him along the way until he gave in," Squall replied very quietly. Vincent nodded a little in response.

"How did he act afterwards?"

Caught a little off guard, Squall paused momentarily, thinking back.

"We were. . . we didn't talk much after. But the next day, he sort of. . . accepted it," he said awkwardly, looking at the other man with a somewhat hesitant expression. Clearly he had nothing else to say. Vincent apparently had had enough information to begin telling Cloud's story.

"Right, then. I suppose it's time I keep my end of the bargain," he nodded slightly at Squall's accepting silence. Vincent cleared his throat, straightening in his seat.

"He went back to the city and struck up a relationship with an interesting fellow," he paused, looking thoughtfully in Squall's direction. "Maybe you've heard of him? His name's Sephiroth."

Sephiroth. . .

Squall furrowed his brows slightly.

"No, never have."

"I suppose not. Cloud probably doesn't talk about much, I gather. Theirs was quite serious a relationship; about 2 years. Lots of things popped up in between, but to keep a long story short, they broke up and Cloud had to file for a restraining order."

Squall's eyes widened marginally.

_What!_

"Like I said, Cloud probably doesn't talk about much," Vincent remarked distastefully. He looked up from his cup to see the critical expression on the younger man's face, frowning in response.

"I'm afraid there isn't much I can tell you. He didn't say a lot; only enough for the court to convict Sephiroth. He sure as hell didn't tell me a thing," he continued, running a hand through his hair with a little aggravation. Squall remained quiet, unsure of what to say or think. A restraining order? But what _for_?

Seemingly able to read his mind, Vincent quickly answered his silent question. "Sexual harassment. That Sephiroth was an obsessive character; that I can tell you. Cloud decided to return to this town here, to start fresh. He met you, and well, you probably know the rest. But what I _can_ say is," he paused, giving the young brunette a reassuring look. "It's not your fault. All his problems – all of it – the source is Sephiroth. None of these things happened after he returned; only after he hooked up with that man. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but Cloud has kept everyone in the dark regarding what _really_ happened."

Squall frowned, exhaling sharply.

"All right. I've got to go," he said after a brief moment, giving Vincent a curt nod and walking off to the bookshop.

The raven-haired man looked on quietly as Squall disappeared in the crowd, sighing softly as he brought his cup to his lips.

'_What on earth are you playing at, Cloud?_'

* * *

"You're back early. Again."

Cloud blinked at the man at the kitchenette, pausing momentarily before kicking off his shoes and closing the door firmly behind him. Rain clouds had begun to gather in the sky, and he had decided to end his services for the day. It was barely 6, but the day was already dark and gloomy. And personally, Cloud didn't like getting _caught_ in the rain, especially after he had just waxed his precious Fenrir.

"I've finished my work," he replied quietly, throwing his coat onto a sofa. Squall didn't reply, stirring some sugar into his tea. He had had a shower earlier and his hair stuck to his face limply in wet clumps. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling back the locks and wiping away some of the water that clung to his cheeks.

Cloud eyed him in silence, wearily taking in the cool nonchalance of the brunette. He immediately felt a little regretful of what had happened earlier that morning. He hadn't been feeling too well, and. . . he couldn't exactly blame Squall now, could he? After all, _both_ of them had been pretty worked up, right before. . .

He shook his head mentally.

No. . . he didn't want to remember. He just wanted to have a quiet evening at home with. . . with Squall.

Swallowing his pride, he clenched his fists and resolutely made his way towards the younger man. Squall noticed him coming from the corner of his eye but simply ignored Cloud. He set the jar of sugar back into a cabinet before feeling a firm hand grip his arm and pull him backwards.

Squall had trained his eyes for an icy glare, but he couldn't help but feel his bad mood get a little off-put, _especially_ when he was currently lip locked in an insistent, yet tender kiss from a man he had constantly fantasized about for the past 3 years. Giving in, he allowed his eyes to flutter close before pulling the smaller man towards him, engaging a deeper, more forceful kiss. His tongue pushed against Cloud's dominantly, sighing softly as the image of a flushed and panting Cloud filled his head.

Sensing the simple display of affection gradually turning into something a little too raw for his tastes, Cloud gently broke this kiss, still savouring the rich taste of something he couldn't quite recall. He licked his lips, his half-lidded eyes slowly looking up to meet Squall's warm gaze. The brunette dropped his arms so that it hung loosely around the older man's waist, leaning his forehead against Cloud's.

He closed his eyes, listening to nothing else but the blonde's breathing, feeling at peace. Cloud relaxed in his arms, leaning into his embrace. They were silent for a moment, with nothing else but their breathing and their heartbeats resonating in unison.

"Hey," Squall said softly, somewhat timidly.

"Hey," Cloud replied, his ghost smile tugging at his lips.

Squall was silent for a moment, a little hesitant before he eventually spoke up.

"I, uh, I met Vincent today."

"You did?" Cloud asked, his tone tinged with mild surprise. He pulled away a little to get a better view of the brunette. Another moment of silence lingered between them before Squall decided to speak again.

"He told me. . . about Sephiroth."

Sharply, Cloud pulled away, his eyes narrowing dangerously. His lips had twisted into an angry frown, breath ragged.

"_You_. . . How _dare_ you!"

Taken aback, Squall felt a little anger – and perhaps desperation – rise inside him as he defended himself.

"I have the right to know! The least you could do is _tell_ me about what hap-"

"It's none of your business!" he snapped furiously, his glare hardening. "You don't have the _right_ to go delving into my past." Squall glowered at that, taking a step towards the blond.

"You know so goddamn much about me, I thought it would only be _fair_ if I knew at least a little about you!"

"I never _forced_ you to tell me anything!"

"Yeah? Well **_I_** know you talked to Zell and Seifer about what happened to me. Surprised? _I found out_, Cloud. But I didn't hunt you down or-or even _confront_ you about it, did I? I let it be because, God forbid, I felt _flattered_ that you _cared_!"

Cloud stiffened, biting back his retort.

"I mean- shit," Squall spat, inhaling deeply as he looked away. He never was one to talk that much, and he didn't even know what he _really_ wanted to _say_. Squall looked up, his grey eyes homing into Cloud's blue ones. Swayed by the intensity of the gaze, Cloud felt his resolution crumble and averted his gaze.

Squall took a step towards him. Cloud staggered backwards.

"Look at me."

He refused to.

Forwards.

Backwards.

"Look at me, Cloud."

He shook his head.

Forwards.

Backwards.

"I'm asking you to look at me."

He shook his head again, this time a little more desperately. Cloud had clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles were white.

Forwards.

"_Cloud_."

A warning tone.

Backwards.

He felt limp, without even the energy to shake his head.

Forwards.

Backw-oof.

He had been backed into a wall, Squall's arms trapping him. Cloud felt a little panic tug at the pit of his stomach, but the heartbeat that was pounding in his ears was drowning all else out. The smaller man shook a little, his lips trembling in anticipation.

A hand shot out, cupping his chin and in the next instant, Squall's mouth was crushing his own. The kiss was forceful and raw; unlike anything they had ever shared before. Pent up emotions were leaking through, and when Cloud attempted to push Squall away, the taller man took the opportunity to slide his tongue into Cloud's mouth, completely draining the blond of any ability to think, let alone _act_ upon his thoughts.

Cloud wanted to protest but all that came out was a throaty moan.

'_No_,' he thought, panicked. '_God, **no**._'

Another part of his body was groaning '_Yes_,' _wanting_ the heat and the sensuality and the-the- **_everything_** that exuded the dark-haired man. Cloud gasped once they pulled away, a strong hand already slipped into his boxers and squeezing firmly. Cloud felt flushed, attempting to push away the brunette once more, but only weakly – strangely enough, half heartedly – still very much heady from the kiss.

His breath hitched as warm fingers brushed at his balls, shuddering under the brunette. Cloud had grasped the front of Squall's shirt into a tight fist and was pushing away insistently, _desperately_.

Squall paused, leaning forwards so that his lips were right beside Cloud's right ear. His hot, ragged breath was making the hair on the back of Cloud's neck stand on its ends.

"Is this really so bad, Cloud?" he asked, his voice husky. Squall squeezed firmly. Cloud shuddered in response, his grip on the shirt only tightening.

Squall's other hand was gripping the side of the blonde's head, a thumb gently stroking his flushed cheeks.

"All I have is you," he whispered breathily. "All I want is _you_. _All_ of _you_."

He pulled away slightly so that they were nose to nose, looking each straight in the eye.

"I _love_ you."

Cloud opened his mouth to say something, but gasped yet again, bucking over when the brunette stroked the underside with a slender finger.

". . . Is it so bad. . . with me? Is sex really _that_ disgusting?"

This time however, Cloud somehow managed to pull himself together, gripping Squall's wrist tightly and pulling his hand out of his pants. His other arm was pushing away at the brunette's chest. His gaze was raised so that they were looking straight into each other eyes once again.

". . ._Yes_."

Cloud stood there for a moment, feeling completely vulnerable and fragile, _sure_ that his skin would be prickling with heat and pain soon enough. He braced himself in anticipation, awaiting the hit or the punch that was sure to follow.

But all he saw was the hurt and the betrayal that flashed through Squall's deep grey eyes, his brows brought together in dejection. In a brief instance, all the emotions were replaced with anger and rage before he roughly pushed past the blond and stormed away.

Cloud felt that it had hurt much worse than if Squall had hit him instead.

The younger man appeared moments later, his arms piled with pillows and blankets. He threw them forcefully onto the couch, spinning on his heel and glaring at the blond.

"_Go_. Just _go_," he spat, a finger pointing angrily at the bedroom door.

Cloud was broken, unsure of what to do. Part of him wanted to stay there and somehow talk Squall out of this. . . this. . . this _nonsense_. But. . . he looked so _angry_; angrier than Cloud had ever known. He took a shaky step towards Squall, only to be met with a glare that was more forceful and furious than the last. Those stormy grey eyes had narrowed beyond dangerousness, and Cloud swallowed, casting his gaze to the floor.

Obediently, he stumbled towards the bedroom. And as he closed the door, he clearly heard the angry roar of the lion as various things crashed to the floor.

* * *

**A/N:** Yo! Sorry for the late update! Meant to be up on Sunday but... curfews. (Sweats) Haha, anyways, I decided to pay back by adding _twice_ the original intended amount of smut, hence making this chapter exceptionally longer than the last few. I must say that I'm shocked to find that this fic has gotten even _more_ popular than **_Rebirth_** that is older and longer. (Laughs) At least now I know that readers like stories that just jump straight into the action. Will do that for my next one-shot. ;)

Ah, a note: My CLC (Cloud x Leon x Cloud) C2 has flourished an triumphed! (Pumps fist in the air) We've got the biggest CLC collection in FFnet! Wheee! And -- check this out -- _we're in the top 5 Kingdom Hearts community in terms of archive size_. I am making this chapter extra smutty in conjunction with fic number 69 on the _Collection of Strife and Leonheart Yaoi_ community! (Parties)

Anyways, time to shamelessly raise my word count (further) by answering some questions and reviews!

**Q:** _... Are Yuffie and Vincent together?_  
**A:** Hell no. Are you _mad_? They are former neighbours _and_ in this fic, she's roughly about 7, 8 years younger than him. Makes their relationship along the lines of brother-sister.

**Q:** _I find Sephiroth's role highly unsurprising._  
**A:** Meh, don't start with me. He's the bad boy _everyone_ loves to hate/bonk. I have another fic where he won't be a bad guy, but not right now... my exams are next week.

**Q:** _Who died?  
_**A:** Not telling. You'll just have to find out. (Ducks as random objects fly through the air.)

Okaaay... not too many questions! Great! Now onto my review answers!

**dimonhyo-anghel**, awesome! First reviewer! Thank you so much for your kind reviews!  
**PyroFirePower**, really? I mean; really, really? (Jumps for joy) (Glomples) Kyaaah, thank yoouuu! Ah, and you added **_FM_** to Cold Attraction! (Lol, random trivia: I'm going to an FM (Fort Minor) concert next week.)  
**AlchemistBlaze**, lol, hehe.  
**Dysfunctional Space Angel**, haha, thanks so much. And as for you, good luck with part two of your fic!  
**xXxchiixXx**, wow, umm, really? (Nibbles on cookies) Thankies! And if they'll work things out? Hmm... depends on my mood. I write chapters on the spot, so if I feel particularly angsty, I might just kill someone off, hyuk hyuk. But since I lurve this pairing so much... hmm, we'll see.  
**Water-Gem**, I'm told that I don't write my chapters long enough (sweat) But thank you so much!  
**Uzumaki-sama**, (Squeals) Ah! _Ah!_ I **_love_** your fics! I'm _so happy _you read and (gasps happily) _liked this_! Woohoooo! Lol, but I tell ya, I _suck_ at RS. I suppose I make up for it by making my CLC extra 'in-character' in my fics. I might as well ask someone to write the RS for me when I plan my next fic, lol. Yes, I suck. But I'm sooo happy that you reviewed! (Squeals somemore) (Runs off to check for **Uzu-sama** updates)  
**Sorceress Fantasia**, Sor-chan! (Coughs) Err, I meant, SF! More you say? More cometh your way!  
**bladegryphon**, Ngahaha, well, enjoy the next (long) fic I churn out because I _promise_ you, he ain't gonna be a baddie.  
**Sunshine Pie**, Thanks so much!  
**Aya Kurayami**, Yeah! I'm keeping at it!  
**mercuryrose**, Erk, nooo... Hmm... maybe your lives are just too similar to my train of thought.  
**Manders1953**, Heehee. Thanks so so much!  
**Claws**, Claws! (Glomples) Yeah, well, I wanted something unconventional for Vincent. Wanted something different, but true to his personality. Hence the psychiatrist Vincent. XD  
**Ayeshagirl**, No, he won't! (Spirited) But he's not gonna force too much... not _yet_ at least, hehehehe... (winkwink nudgenudge)  
**Sacredfirelight**, oookay. Adorable? Err... I'll get back to you on that. But, thanks sooo much yo!  
**Kyme**, Kyaaaa! Sam-chan! (power glomples) You must not let out the secrets of this chapter... or I won't let you pre-read my fics anymore...  
**yarda101**, Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you too. (Hearts)

Whoaa... (ogles) That's a _lot_ of readers! Thanks so much everyone! I will work harder!

Oh, and review! X33


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